CERT TEAMS

In my division we have no CERT team. We have 3 jails and we have to rely on the police dept for tactical things. Contaband is also getting out of control. Me and a few other officers have decided to write up a letter and request to start a CERT team. Any Ideas out there on good ways to go about this our a good sales pitch?????? We have written a pritty good letter but any other info on how to get ADM??? to bring our Division up to date.......

I would suggest going to www.certops.com and checking things out there. There are many excellent articles & pod casts etc. as well as updates. Team leader Garcia is quite motivational and most are willing help in any way they can. Of course any propper start up is going to cost $$$$$$$$$$$. Admin will likely frown on anything that will have significant costs and liabilities but if you can show them statistics, emerging threats & preventative measures that will have longevity and bennefits to the tax payer, they might be willing to listen. Also something that has a more lasting impact is to invite a professional team to your facility to help you evaluate it's strengths & weaknesses. If your dealing with a good ol' boy network then expect an uphill battle. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes the extreme to happen before they awaken from their slumber. As the CERTOPS motto says "One team, One fight !" Stick together & set your face like a flint. Don't relent to the occasional set back. Your persistence will pay off and better yet... Save lives ! Best of luck.

I would suggest going to www.certops.com and checking things out there. There are many excellent articles & pod casts etc. as well as updates. Team leader Garcia is quite motivational and most are willing help in any way they can. Of course any propper start up is going to cost $$$$$$$$$$$. Admin will likely frown on anything that will have significant costs and liabilities but if you can show them statisics, emerging threats & preventative measures that will have longevity and bennefits to the tax payer, they might be willing to listen. Also something that has a more lasting impact is to invite a professional team to your facility to help you evaluate it's strengths & weaknesses. If your dealing with a good ol' boy network then expect an uphill battle. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes the extreme to happen before they awaken from their slumber. As the CERTOPS motto says "One team, One fight !" Stick together & set your face like a flint. Don't relent to the occasional set back. Your persistence will pay off and better yet... Save lives ! Best of luck.

There's really no need to write much more than the BIGBOSS on this one. I would restate something there and that being SOMETHING HAPPENING...most all decisions are bottom line driven and tight budgets makes new programs a back burner item. You'll have to be patient probably and wait for THAT THINGY TO HAPPEN....hope you are not on shift or hurt in the process.....GOOD LUCK.

Everyone else is right, admin will frown on spending big money to outfit and train a CERT Team. I would start out asking for a contraband control team. You can form a team that does multiple random shakedowns. If you want good info on starting a team, talk your head admin. person (warden/jail administrator) into going to West Virginia with you for the annual Mock Prison Riot and CERT compitition. There are lots of venders and teams from all over the country that could give you some good starting pointers.

"To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself."
-Sun Tzu-

I'm not trying to dampen your attempt to better your facility, but I would also find out why there is no CERT team and why you rely on outside help for tactical assistance. There may be a good reason, a not so good reason, a political reason....but if it has been this way for a substantial amount of time and it has worked for them, your request may be falling on deaf ears. And if it has been this way a while, I'm almost sure your questions and requests won't be the first......so make sure you have good stats, money and safety saving stats for the long run...because they aren't going to see immediate results I'm sure, and a good sales pitch before going forward with it and if they give you the cold shoulder, you may want to squash it even if you believe they are wrong. You don't want to be the one to make waves, especially if the reasoning behind the whole thing is political or you facility is politically heavy, if you know what I mean. Just my thoughts.